Everybody’s heard of the hydrogen economy, with its promise of limitless low carbon energy. But after decades of R&D, the dream seems scarcely any closer. Apparently still confounded by major technical challenges, the hydrogen economy remains an elusive mirage – always ‘just 10 years away’.

But perhaps the hydrogen enthusiasts have simply picked the wrong element? A growing band of companies and independent experts now argue that some of the long-awaited promise of hydrogen could soon be delivered by a different gas – and at a fraction of the cost.

“Hydrogen could bankrupt the country,” says Professor Yulong Ding, Director of the Institute of Particle Science & Engineering at the University of Leeds, “there’s a much greater chance we’ll see a nitrogen economy.”

The launch of the Liquid Air Energy Group was covered by BBC radio and television news on 2nd October, and you can read BBC Environment Analyst Roger Harrabin’s online story here.

One Comment on “Liquid air: the birth of the nitrogen economy”>

JV Says:October 13th, 2012 at 2:07 pm

Compressed air can be used to power pneumatic engines, but the like electric cars the range is limited and there are technical issues such as low efficiency with pneumatic engines which electric motors don’t have.

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